Improvement in the manufacture of gas



' with sawdust or other carbonaceous materials,

is taken in bulk-,lump and slack, large and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES GRUTCHETT, OF STRQUD, ENGLAND,

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 62,823, dated March 12, 1867.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES oRUT CHET'ly-a citizen of Stroud, in the county of Gloucester, England, but forover twenty years past a domicileql resident of Washington city, District of Columbia, United States of America, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Manufacturin g or Generating Gas for illumination, heating, and other purposes, thereby producing said gases of a richer'and purer quality for illumination, more powerful for the uses of heat and ventilation, clean, and easy of manufacture, and at much less cost than heretofore.

Now, know ye that I, the said JAMES CRUTCHETT, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention, and'in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof-that is to say:

This invention relates to. the manufacture of gas for lighting and heating purposes from coal and other materials. For this purposeI take coal and reduce it to small particles or powder by any suitable mechanical means, which powdered coal I inject in small quantities, at regular intervals, into the retort or ovens by means of a jet of steam, compressed air, or by other suitable mechanism, arranged so as to throw it in at the front end or top of the retort as the coal is fed forward or supplied from a hopper or suitable chamber.

The pulverized coal may, if desired, beintroduccd into the retort or oven in combination with petroleum or other oils, together forced or injected into the retort, as previous] y described or petroleumor other suitable oils may be injected into the gas-retort by means of a jet of steam or otherwise.

In carrying out my improvements in the manufacture of gas for lighting and heating purposes from coal and other materials, I will first shortly describe the present well-known process'of manufacturing gas from coal.

The coal used for the manufacture of gas small together, and several hundred-weight is introduced to charge each retort. These charges are leftiutheretortsYor from four to eight hours at a time, after which the large quantity of coke formed in the retorts has to be withdrawn with great labor and difliculty.

During the long period in which the coke is forming (until the whole mass becomes heated to nearly one thousand degrees of heat) there arise products from the operation'which tend much to clog the pipes and apparatus, causing extra laborand care in attendance. In fact, while thecharge of several hundred weight of coal is beinggradually heated, the gas-retort becomesa coke-oven, and the charge of coal becomes converted inf-f) coke to a much'greater extent than into illuminating-gas and, after the coalbecomes coke, the longerit remains in the retort the poorer the gas becomes which is generated, consisting largely of hydrogen, ammonia, and

snlphurets and these require more purification than proper rich carbureted hydrogen.

Anothereffect of the present and ordinary process of charging the retorts with several hundred-weightof material .at once consists in the rapid cooling of the retorts from a high temperature to a comparatively low one, which, by being repeated severaltimes a day, results in a much more rapid decay and unfitness for use of the retorts, thereby entailing great expense for continuous repair, as well as a large number of benchesL being out of use in all gas-works of any magnitude.

Now, my improvements consist as follows, viz: I take coal and reduce it to small P31110168.

or powder by means of rollers, crushcrs, or any other suitable mechanical means, which pow dered coal I inject in small quantities, at regu-- lated intervals, into the retort or ovens by means of a jet of steam, compressed gasor air, or any other suitable niech anical arrangements, soias to throw it in at the front end or top of the retort or oven as the coal-dust or other. carbonaceous material is fed forward or supplied by a hopper or other suitable feeder inregulated quantities or in a small continuous current.

By injecting pulverized coal or other carbouaceous materials into gas-retorts or suitable ovens in small quantities by means of steam, gas, or otherwise, as before mentioned,

each ounce of material or small injection is composed of, say, hundreds of thousands of v particles, more or le'ss,- and by means of steam or suitable injecting force these partieles become instantaneously scattered over the whole surface of the interior; and, as the retort or oven is at the proper heat for gas- 7 channels, instead of, as in the present process,

remaining for hours in a chamber, and being converted, to a great extent, into coke andinferior gas. 1 Y

r The pulv'erized coalmay,if desired, be introduced .,into the retort, or oven in combination witlnpetroleum or;other oils,- or sawdust, or other carbonaceous materials, by steam, compressed gas, ailpor by mechanical means, as previously described; but injcctionby atmospheric air, if notearefull y regulated, would lead to explosive compounds and general deterioration of illuminating quality, and if introduced by springs would benliable to clog the. apparatus and prevent its, regular working.

In addition to theadvantage-of using steam, as a means of injecting the carbonaceous materials into the retorts or ovens, other good uses follow, viz: The steam current or flash cleanses the tubes of all sediment, both by its force of column forward and partial vacuum followin Steam also becomes, to some extent, decomposed at so high a temperature as the retorts"s'lf hld be heated to by combining with small particles of carbon and oxygen, thus liberating a corresponding large volume of hydrogen in proportion to. oxygen engaged,\vhich latter, although it forms carbonic acid to theextent'of oxygen liberated, becomes nearly alliprecipitated by the steam in condensing after leaving the retort, whereas thhydrogen,liberated by the loss of oxygen, absorbs the, oleiiant and rich carbons, and thus forms a valuable and additional volume of illuminating-gas, more than by the present process. Steam, also, by this process, in c u-j densi i g, precipitates sulphuric and ammonia acal products, thus leaving the general mixedgases less impregnated, and requiring less" puriflcationjby lime and other means than at present; and it is well known that themore that illuminating-gas is subjected to lime and. other purification the less power of illumina-' tion does the 'gas possess. The pulverized coal or other carbonaceous materials may be carried forward from the main reservoirs along troughs by spiral screws, or scrapers,

' or belts, or lines, and thussupply various hopper's,'f1 om.whence each retort or oven receives its supp lylfor' injection or small cnrrent'by means .of lvalves', slides, or other'suitabIe'mechanical arrangements. Each small dose, or

v charge, or current as soon as delivered becomes acted on by steam or gas, which scatters the charge or, current in'toinnumerable particles over the whole interior surface of the retort or oven, and the generation of gas is instantaneously accomplished. Manual labori's thus much diminished amidst the intense heat and dusty atmosphere, so inconvenientto those employed in gas-manufactories.

The labor of drawing out of the retorts the largebulk of manufactured coke every few hours (in a state of great heat) becomes very oppressive, whereas by my improvements most of the coal or other carbonaceous material becomes converted into gas, and leaves so muchless coke and other residuum in theretort requiring the labor of removal; in

addition to which, as by my improvements the retorts or' ovens can always be kept .up to the highest state of heat required, thegeueration of gas goes on almost continuously, and, by saving so much heat lost in manufacturing coke, less fuel becomes necessary to generate pure gas in continuous succession, and thus less expense is necessary for manufacturing gas by my improvements. v

By my improvements much more and better gas from the same materials will be generated, with less labor and at much less cost of manufacture, besides which the improved, mode of manufacture requires less purification by lime and other materials, thus causing less exposure of obnoxious materials requiring removal from the gas-works, and avoiding the effluvia so unpleasant to those oceu-' pying the more immediate neighborhood of gas-works.

Another advantage resulting from my improvements is the reduction in the cost of gas, whether used for illumination, ventilation, or for heating purposes. Besides, being a gas containing more olefiant and rich carbon in its body, the rays of lightand color will be .more" in accordance with the rays of solar light, and-more-pleasant and agreeable to the sight. I r

Having thus described the nature of my invention, what I claim is l. The-manufacture of gas for lighting and heating. purposes from pulverized or fine coal, or other carbonaceous materials, in-

j'e'cted into retorts'or ovens in small quantities, either by separate successiv'e injections or in small continuous currents, as'herein dcscribed.

2. I claim the injection into retorts or suitable -ovens or chambers of pulverized, powdered, or small coal, sawdust,- oils,.or carbonaceous materials; by-means of steam sup plied to .such retorts in separate charges or m'continuous currents, as hereindescribed 3. I claim-the injection of suitable carbonaceons materials, as aforesaid, for the manufacture of gas, into retorts, ovens, or heated chambers by separate successive injections or currents by means of compressed atmospheric air, compressed gas, springs, or other mechanical means, as hereinbefore described, whether the interiors of such retorts'be under a slight degree of pressure or vacuum.

In witness whereof I, the said. JAMES CRUTGHETT, have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of December, A. D. 1866.

JAMES ORUTOHETT.

Witnesses:

FRED. P. STANTON,

J OHN DUNCAN, 

